Steering-gear for automobiles.



PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

S. J. MAGEARREN.

, STEERING GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13,1904.

WITNESSES SAMUEL JAMES BIIXCBXARRIIB', OF II'I"ISBUI{(,I, IICNNSYLV ANIA.

STEERING-GEAR FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed June 13, 1904. Serial No. 212,240.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, SAMUEL Janes Macxlrur REN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Pittsburg,county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and use vful Improvement in Steering-Gear Vfor Automobiles; and .I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being' had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speci- Ication.

My invention relates to vehicle-gears for self-propelled vehicles.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure lis a plan view of the chassis or frame and attached parts of a vehicle embodying' my invention. Figs. 2, 3, and are detail views.

A is the frame, having' a motor B mounted thereon.

C is the main shaft of the motor.

D indicates the sprocket-wheels upon the shaft C.

,IC E are chains passing' over the sprocketwheels I) and leading to sprocket-wheels J K.

F G are the axles of the vehicle, pivoted by lifth-wheels H I to the frame A. The I l ratus is as follows: The sprocket-wheels J sprocket-wheels J K are connected by a gimbal-joint to the axles F G, so that said wheels may remain in one plane, though the angle at which the axles are located with reference to said plane may change.

The construction of the sprocket-wheels J I( and their connection t0 the shaft are described in another application for Letters Patent made by me and serially numbered QQLOQ.

L M are rods extending between the axles F (gi upon opposite sides of the 'frame A and secured to said axles by pivoted hangers L7 M7, consisting of rings L, surrounding and adapted to slide along' the axle, and a block a, pivoted to said ring' beneath the same. The block a is provided with a screw-threaded aperture, with the screw-threads of which thc screw-threads L L2 M M2 upon the rods L M engage. rIhe screw-threads L on the end of a rod L at one endet' the vehicle are opposite to those at the other end. Thus it' one pair is right-handed the other isleft-handed. Ihus while the rods L M are free tomove longitudinally with reference to the frame they are secured to the axles by their screw-threads engaging' with the screw-threads in the blocks fr, secured to the axles by the rings Il Mg are sprocket-wheels pivoted upon the frame A and provided with squared apertures Z at their centers. 'Ihe rods L M are squared at their ends and pass through said apertures so as to slide longitudinally, but to be restrained from angular motion relative to said sprocket-wheel.

N a sproclmt-wheel secured to the frame A at the center and front thereof.

N is a sprocket-chain passing' over the sprocket-wheel N and the sprocket-wheels L3 M. Said sprocl et\vl1cels are restrained from lateral motion by vokes LL M, secured to the frame A and passing' said wheels.

I) is a lever-arm adapted to be moved by a steeringwheel or equivalent device. (Not shown.)

L M"l arc bell-crank levers pivoted upon the frame A and having one arm of cach engaging' a yoke If M"i upon the rods L and M.

I I are connecting-rods connecting the arm I) with the arms of the bell-crank levers L" M".

Ihe yokes If )I5 are secured to the rods L M, so that said rods may turn independently of the yoke, but cannot move longitudinally independent thereof.

'.Ihe operation ot' the above-described appa- I( are driven b v the motor B through the chains E in the usual manner, turning beth of the axles F G to propel the carriag'e. IVhen it is desired to turn the vehicle about a center with the vehicle at right angles to a radius of said center, the sprocket-wheel N is rotated, turning' the wheels L M3, which carries with them the rods L M. 'Ihis turns the axles F (lr by the action of the serew-tlu'eads L and If, M and M' upon the screw-threads of the hangers L M, as indicated in Fig. I, turning both axles so that a less angular turn of an axle will be required than when onlyoneaxle is turned to steer the vehicle.

lVhen it is desired to move the vehicle obliquely without turning it, the axles F G are put into parallel positions and al'e turned about their centers by moving' the lever I) and drawing forward upon one of the rods Land M and pushing' back upon the other, thus turning the axles and keeping them parallel.

It will be observed that the axles F (Jr are always firmly connected by the rods L M and that the same apparatus is used either in turning about a center' while moving forward at right angles to a radius to said center 0r when moving ol liquely. It will also be 0b- IOO ITO

served that all the wheels may be used both for steering' and traction purposes.

What I claim is- 1. In a self-propelled vehicle, the combination of a frame,two axles pivoted to said frame, and apparatus connecting said axles between points at distances from said pivots, said apparatus being adapted to turn said axles in opposite directions and to move with said axles when the same are turned in the same direction.

2. ln a self-propelled vehicle, the combination of a frame,two axles pivoted to said frame, and a rod extending between said axles, said rod being provided with a right-handed screwthread toward one end and a left-handed screwthread toward the other end,said screw-threads engaging screw-threads respectively upon said shafts, said rod being adapted to be rotated and to be moved longitudinally.

3. In a self-propelled vehicle, the combination of a frame, two axles pivoted to said frame, and a rod upon 'each side of said pivot` each of said rods being provided with a right-handed screw-thread at one end and a left-handed screw thread at the other end, said screwthreads engaging screw threads upon said axles, said rod being adapted to be rotated and to be moved longitudinally.

4. In a self-propelled vehicle, the combination of a frame,two axles pivoted to said frame, and a rod upon each side of said pivot, each of xsaid rods being provided with a right-handed screw-thread at one end and a left-handed screw-thread at the other end,said screwthreads engaging screw-threads upon said axles, said rod being adapted to be rotated and to be moved longitudinally.

5. In a self-propelled vehicle, the combination of a frame,two axles pivoted to said frame, and a rod upon each side of said pivot, each of said rods being provided witha right-handed screw-thread at one end and a left-handed screw-thread at the other end, said screwthreads engaging screw threads upon said axles, and means for rotating said rods simultaneously.

6. In a wheeled vehicle, the combination of the frame connected with the axle byduplicate fifth-wheels or turn-tables, and means connecting said axles and independent of the frame adapted to constrain said axles to turn at equal angles in the same or in opposite directions.

7. In a wheeled vehicle, the combination of a pivoted front axle, and a pivoted rear axle, means for connecting said axles together at eccentric points, said connecting means being capable of adjustment to bring together or separate the connected points, and means for rotating one of said axles.

In testimony whereotI I sign this specification' in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL JAMES MACFARREN.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. MooRE, IRENE PATTERSON. 

